Jinting Han people

Chapter 200: Determination to Turn the Tide (4k)

At 1:15 am on August 1st, the fourth year of Yuankang, Hao San led his cavalry across the Fen River and suddenly attacked the Jin army stationed at Gumuyuan. Most of the Jin army in the camp were still asleep.

The success of this night attack was inevitable. After his victory at Jishan, Hao San considered the situation and realized it remained dire: if he failed to capture the Fenyin camp quickly, the Xiongnu would remain blocked east of the Yellow River, and a massed crossing of the river would be a pipe dream. Furthermore, attacking the Fenyin camp in a normal manner would likely have little chance of success. Therefore, after only two days of rest, he took a gamble and planned this night attack.

Hao San first left most of his infantry in Jishan to mop up the battlefield, acting as a decoy to lure the Jin army. He then secretly gathered all his horses, forming a cavalry force of around 6,000 men. He then chose a remote route through the dense forests of the mountains between Pingyang and Hedong counties.

To keep their route secret, they hid during the day and moved at night, covering sixty miles a day, successfully avoiding detection by the Jin army's scouts. Finally, on the evening of the fifth day, they quietly reached Yuquanyuan, east of Gumuyuan.

The Jin army was still preparing for the second day of battle, and coincidentally, the night sentries had all been withdrawn. Hao Sansa sent out several scouts to gather information, and they easily reached the Jin camp. They were surprised to find that, except for a few soldiers on night patrol, the Jin camp was virtually undefended.

Upon hearing this, Hao San was overjoyed and made a prompt decision. He ordered the soldiers to eat and drink on the spot. Before dawn, he secretly climbed over the camp wall and knocked out a small door, allowing the soldiers to file in. Then, with a command, his soldiers suddenly attacked and fought against the Jin army who were still dreaming in the camp. With the help of rockets and arrows, the Jin army camp was immediately engulfed in fire.

By the time Liu Xian realized what was happening, most of the soldiers had also just woken up. They were at a loss at first, then panicked to find the rebels right before their eyes. Without weapons, how could they react? So most of them instinctively began to flee. The crowds, the chaos, the despair, created an extremely tragic scene, and countless people fell to the butcher's knife.

Many even tried to escape by climbing over the western wall, but they hadn't anticipated that Hao San had dispatched a number of cavalrymen to circle around to the west of the camp, where they had been waiting for a long time. Those who fled in panic didn't even have time to gain a foothold before the knights outside the wall, armed with long swords, attacked them like cattle.

The places invaded by the Huns almost became slaughterhouses. In just two quarters of an hour, nearly a thousand people lost their lives.

The Jin army was blocked in the north and had no choice but to flee south. The passages between the camps were already crowded. Li Sheng, Xue Xing, Zhang Gu, Sun Xi, Lu Quyang and others were also awakened at this time. They hurried to Liu Xian and said to him:
"County Master, hurry up and leave! It will be too late if you don't leave now!"

Liu Xian, now dressed in military uniform, with a sword at his waist and leading his horse, immediately asked, "Go? Where to?"

"Let's go back to Xiayang! Our army has been defeated, and no one has escaped from Sun Changshi's camp!"

Upon hearing the news that Sun Xiu had escaped again, Liu Xian remained unmoved. He said to his subordinates, "He is him, I am me. Who said we have been defeated?"

Without waiting for Xue Xing to persuade him again, he said decisively: "If I flee, who do you think Sun Xiu will use as a scapegoat for this defeat? Everyone in the army can retreat, but I must not retreat!"

"If you want to leave, then go ahead. It's up to you to stay or go. I won't let you down! But for me, there's only one way: either die here! Or turn defeat into victory!"

These words were so decisive that they made everyone present sober up instantly. Liu Xian's words of being able to leave or stay as he pleased were naturally just angry words. As the saying goes, if the master is humiliated, the minister will die. Most of the people present were Liu Xian's followers. With the exception of Lü Quyang who was able to escape back to Lueyang, how could the others have a good ending?
Liu Xian looked at his subordinates, his tone softened, and he continued, "No matter what, now that Sun Xiu is gone, there's no one to hinder us. Even though there are chaotic soldiers everywhere, we still have a chance to turn defeat into victory!"

"Chance?"

"I see that the enemy's offensive is not very large, only about 5,000 men."

"Inside my tent, I have flags and drums to boost morale and direct the troops. Behind my tent, I've collected 427 crossbow triggers and 10,000 crossbow arrows. The rebels are attacking at night, so they must be lightly cavalry, exhausted and tired. If we can gather two to three thousand men, based on our fortifications and the terrain, we can still defeat them!"

"Time is running out. We must act quickly. The soldiers in the camp right now aren't incapable of fighting, but they lack organization! As long as we can beat the drums and play inspiring music, we'll have a chance of counterattack!"

"In this situation, I have these magic weapons to win. Isn't this God's will? If I give up and try to escape, wouldn't I be going against God's will and become an unknown villain?"

After these words were spoken, everyone present was stunned.

Li Sheng, in particular, had already thought of a strategy, saying that surrendering to the rebels at this time was also a good option. After hearing Liu Xian's words, he silently swallowed them, immediately turned around, and said to his colleagues:
"My lord, you are absolutely right! Throughout history, only extraordinary people can achieve extraordinary feats! If the county lord can see this, how can we fall behind?!"

After saying this, he immediately turned back to Liu Xian and said, "My Lord, please give the order!"

Time waits for no one. Liu Xian's thoughts were extremely fast. Whatever he thought of, he said immediately:
"Binshuo, immediately take these drums to the tallest ancient tree, where everyone can see them. Light the torches and beat the assembly drums! Have all the soldiers gather around you!"

"As ordered!"

"Ah Tian, I don't think many of my men have escaped yet. Move them here immediately, bring the crossbow triggers and arrows to the camp under the ancient tree, and quickly deploy defenses. Everyone there should have fled, and no one will stop you!"

"As ordered!"

"Qu Yang, go find Cai Fang. He should still be in the West Camp. After you meet him, immediately lead your troops to block the north gate and turn back anyone who escapes. If anyone disobeys, do not hesitate. Kill them all, regardless of rank, to establish your authority!"

"As ordered!"

"Jida, Sunxi, grab your swords and take the rest of the people you can bring with you. Follow me immediately! Let's block everyone at the intersection. I want to see how this mob of rebels dares to launch a night attack!"

"As ordered!"

In a matter of moments, all the orders were issued. Like a master chess player, at this crucial moment, Liu Xian had already meticulously calculated his moves in his mind. Once that was complete, he made his moves with the swiftness of a storm. Of course, these moves were learned from the renowned generals he admired, but they were also honed by his innate meticulous mind and bold character.

In the blink of an eye, everyone in front of him disappeared. After Xue Xing brought over more than 30 personal soldiers from the surrounding area, Liu Xian did not stop and said, "Let's go!" Then he turned over and rode on his horse, and immediately walked towards the flow of people on the main road in the camp.

At this moment, he was riding in the front, all emotions in his heart had been forgotten completely, leaving only a fearless heart, leading him into the chaotic crowd. "Stop."

Liu Xian first said this softly. When he said this, there was no one in front of him.

"Stop everyone!"

With this loud shout, accompanied by Fanyu's high-pitched neigh, the horse leaped into the crowd with a thunderous roar, like a small mountain pressing down. With a loud noise, the horse's hooves kicked up dust, and the people around were stunned.

They saw Liu Xian standing among the crowd like an iron tower, holding up the Zhaowu sword in his hand, which gleamed brightly in the firelight.

In the silence, Liu Xian said loudly:

"Are you all idiots? The enemy has come a hundred miles to get here, how much fighting power can they have? And now you just want to run away barefoot! They came here on horseback, can you run faster than the horses? If you expose your back to the enemy, the only result will be death!"

"Even if you manage to escape, you've already suffered two defeats in a row! Will military law spare you? It's best to fight this battle again!"

"Right now, the enemy only has cavalry. They're obviously not numerous, but they're just using the cover of darkness to intimidate you. They're actually walking into a trap! Do you understand?"

At this point, someone finally reacted, speaking out from the crowd: "Who are you? What qualifications do you have? Why should I listen to you?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Xue Xing shot an arrow, which went straight through the man's neck. The man covered his neck, stammered twice, and immediately fell down.

Liu Xian glanced at Xue Xing with admiration, then turned back and continued, his voice now louder than thunder: "I am Liu Xian, Liu Huai Chong, the Xiayang Commander, and a descendant of Liu Xuande! My ancestors taught me that I must never give up hope because of adversity! So I choose to move towards victory! What about you?"

Someone else asked, "But now, many of us don't even have swords. How can we fight the enemy?"

"There are swords and knives scattered everywhere!" Liu Xian said decisively. "Those without swords and knives, pick them up now. Those with swords and knives, follow me and see how I fight. Then you can decide whether to join in or not. How about that?"

Having said this, he paused, turned around again, looked around at everyone around him, and shouted, "But you must remember, those who can't keep up with my pace will always be left behind!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he spurred his horse through the crowd and galloped towards the place where the Huns were attacking, creating a whirlwind on the ground. Xue Xing and others did not dare to delay and hurriedly followed him.

Those who were stopped looked at Liu Xian's back, then at the corpse on the ground, and for a moment, they looked at each other in bewilderment. After a moment's hesitation, some people gritted their teeth, picked up their swords, and chased after the tall figure.

This speech once again helped Liu Xian recruit more than 200 people from the chaotic army.

He didn't know whether Lu Quyang had successfully found Cai Fang, nor did he know how many people had died and how many had escaped. At least he had successfully convinced himself. If he couldn't even move himself, how could he move others?
The frustration and dissatisfaction he'd felt over the past ten days had become fuel, fueling Liu Xian's inner turmoil. He felt himself seething and burning. He heard screams from the left front, as if the Xiongnu were chasing the fleeing soldiers. He instinctively felt the urge to crush them all underfoot.

He did just that. Holding a sharp sword, he drew an arc of light as Fanyu galloped wildly. He pulled the reins of the horse and stopped abruptly. The tip of the sword unexpectedly appeared in front of the three Huns.

The three Huns were pursuing their victorious enemy, feeling somewhat complacent, when a knight suddenly appeared from around a corner, causing them to freeze in shock. This sealed their fate. Liu Xian's sword, poised to strike, seemed divinely assisted, piercing the enemy's breastplate. Then, with the speed of a butcher butchering an ox, he withdrew his blade, piercing the skull of another man without pause. With a flick of his wrist, he lifted the skull cap from his forehead.

Finally, under the incredulous gaze of the third person, he turned around and slashed, cutting off the neck cleanly and neatly. The Hun's head fell to the ground like a ball and even rolled twice.

Behind these three men, dozens of Xiongnu knights were stunned at the sight. But then, confident of their numbers, they pressed forward to fight. However, Sun Xi, Xue Xing, and others arrived immediately, and the fight erupted into chaos.

This was still insignificant in the entire camp, but when there was a fight, there would be people joining the fight. Gradually, a large number of Huns began to rush towards Liu Xian's location, and the fleeing Jin soldiers also gradually regained their confidence.

But overall, the Jin army was still at a disadvantage, because a local battlefield could not change the situation on the entire battlefield.

But Liu Xian never expected that he could change the situation by fighting alone. Sometimes he fought in the crowd, and sometimes he looked towards the ancient tree at the highest point on the north side of the camp. That was where he could turn the defeat around.

However, the most important thing is time. Liu Xian was still a little anxious because time waits for no one. If the plan is implemented a moment later, the chances of success will be reduced by more than 10%.

So although the battle lasted only three quarters of an hour, Liu Xian felt as if he had spent three years in agony.

Finally, amidst the chaotic and clamorous night sky, a sudden "dong" sound was heard. The sound wasn't crisp, but Liu Xian could still clearly hear it. He killed another man and turned back to look at the ancient mulberry tree. He could see torches lit there, and three flags held high. Two white tiger flags were placed on the left and right, and in the middle was a large flag with eight characters written on it, inscribed with the characters "overcome danger and resolve difficulties, support An Wei Le".

Li Sheng had already set up the military drum under his flag, and he had just tried beating it. Now he looked at the still chaotic situation in the entire camp, calmed himself, held the drumstick in hand, and personally led the soldiers to beat it.

"Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom..."

The familiar and dull sound of drums resounded over the entire ancient woodland. All the people in the camp, whether they were killing, fleeing, waiting to die, or cursing, could not help but look up at this moment, and happened to see the eight-character peace flag under the mulberry tree.

That was the sound of gathering for a counterattack.

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(End of this chapter)